Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface / James Midgley and Michelle Livermore -- Introduction: social policy and social welfare -- The nature of social policy -- The definition of social policy / James Midgley -- An overview of American social policy / Diana M. DiNitto -- Economic dimensions of social policy / Jane Waldfogel -- Policy analysis / Bruce Jansson -- Policy practice and advocacy / Rick Hoefer -- The impact of social policy / Pranab Chatterjee and Diwakar Vadapalli -- The history of social policy -- Social policy from colonial times to the Civil War / Phyllis J. Day -- Social policy and the Progressive Era / John M. Herrick -- Social policy and the New Deal / Robert Leighninger and Leslie Leighninger -- Social policy and the Great Society / Michael Reisch -- Social policy: Reagan and beyond / David Stoesz -- The political economy of social policy -- The institutional approach to social policy / James Midgley -- Conservative approaches to social policy / Leon Ginsberg -- Critical social policy / Demetrius S. Iatridis -- Welfare pluralism and social policy / Neil Gilbert -- Feminist approaches to social policy / Cheryl Hyde -- Race, politics, and social policy / Lori Parham, Jill Quadagno, and Jordan Brown -- The social development perspective in social policy / James Midgley and Michael Sherraden -- Social policy and the physical environment / Marie D. Hoff and John G. McNutt -- Social policy and the social services -- Child and family welfare policies and services / Kathy Briar-Lawson, Toni Naccarato, and Jeanette Drews -- Income maintenance and support: the changing face of welfare / Jill Duerr Berrick -- Social security / Martha Ozawa -- Social policy and the elderly / Fernando M. Torres-Gil and Valentine Villa -- Social policy and health care / Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld -- Housing policy / Kevin Fox Gotham and James D. Wright -- Social policies and mental health / James W. Callicut -- Social policies for people with disabilities / Elizabeth Lightfoot -- Social policy and the correctional system / Margaret Severson -- Employment policy and social welfare / Michelle Livermore and Younghee Lim -- Education and social policy / Susan Stone -- Urban development policy / Robert Waste -- Conclusion: international and future perspectives of social policy -- International aspects of social policy / Sheila B. Kamerman and Alfred J. Kahn -- The future of social policy / James Midgley and Michelle Livermore -- Index -- About the editors -- About the contributors.